


A Mutual Confession

by SmileyBeanBoi



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fluff, Hubert is a lot softer than I usually imagine him, Kissing, M/M, Minor Angst, This whole thing is very cheesy but I couldn't help myself lol, but I figured it was fitting because he's actually being open about his feelings, for once in his life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:28:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27984606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmileyBeanBoi/pseuds/SmileyBeanBoi
Summary: As the inevitable final clash with the Immaculate One draws near, Linhardt decides to finally make clear his feelings for Hubert. Hubert, as fate would have it, is planning to do the exact same thing.
Relationships: Linhardt von Hevring/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	A Mutual Confession

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I ran out of LinBert fics to read so I had no choice but to write my own! I was very much inspired to make this from reading the fic Getting Used To, which is just *chef's kiss* the BEST LinBert content on the internet. I referenced it a bit in this story because *shockingly* it was all I could think about while writing it lmao. 
> 
> This is my first fanfic in a loooong time, but I hope you enjoy it!!

Linhardt slipped the neatly creased paper into its envelope and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. 

Today was the day, he was finally going to set things straight with Hubert. He needed to, now more than ever. The ultimate confrontation with the Immaculate One was fast approaching and truthfully, Linhardt had never felt _less_ certain whether or not he was going to survive a battle in his life. If he didn't tell Hubert how he felt now, there was a fair chance he would never get the opportunity to do so again.

The letter was a simple one---it didn't need to say much, after all. He would be saying all he needed to in person.

"Meet me at the Goddess Tower."

He hoped the intrigue alone would be enough to get Hubert to come. He sealed the envelope and breathed deeply for a moment, willing himself out the door of his room. 

There was no going back now.

\--- 

Hubert exhaled a tired sigh as he gazed down at the freshly sealed envelope in his hands. Today was the day he had finally decided to make clear his feelings for Linhardt. It had to be today, there was simply no time left. 

He had initially planned to keep these ridiculous feelings to himself; to focus on his duties to Lady Edelgard. But as time went on, he realized he was struggling to focus on anything _but_ these feelings.

It was, Hubert thought, honestly quite humorous that he still felt the need to confess. This despite the fact that he and Linhardt had shared moments _far_ more intimate than anyone on friendly terms would. Hubert had kissed the man---multiple times---for goddess' sake…

And yet, those intimate moments had an almost unspoken air to them. They would happen, and then the two of them would resume as normal. As if what transpired were an entirely ordinary interaction.

Hubert knew he couldn't simply let these things hang in the air as they headed into the fight of their lives. No, he needed to lay them to rest once and for all. Regardless of the outcome…

Pushing aside the tinge of anxiety that dwelled at the thought of rejection, Hubert stood and tucked the letter away as he made his way out into the hall. 

No more hiding from the truth.

\---

Linhardt turned the corner around the mid point of the stairs near the first floor dormitories, and promptly walked straight into Hubert. They each stumbled backwards a step or two, and Linhardt caught himself against the wall, cursing under his breath.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone else would be--" 

He began to apologize, but stopped when he realized who he had walked into. Despite a rush of internal panic, outwardly Linhardt managed to appear unfazed. 

"Hubert? Ah, of course you would still be awake at this hour. I should've guessed." 

Hubert chuckled, though internally he was cursing. Of _course_ he had run into Linhardt while trying to deliver his letter, that was just his luck. Still, his usual poker face hid his dread perfectly.

"Indeed. Though I must admit, I find it surprising to see _you_ about. May I ask what you're doing wandering the grounds at this hour?" He asked.

Linhardt quickly racked his brain for an excuse, and thankfully one came. He smiled and shrugged.

"Really? Frankly, _I'm_ surprised that you're surprised. I'm heading to the library, as I do most every night." 

He paused, realizing how suspicious that would sound if Hubert did happen to walk this same route every night.

"Well… My evening nap did last a little longer than usual, so I suppose this _is_ an odd time for me to be out. Fair enough!" He shrugged.

"The library, hm? You do realize you're walking in the opposite direction of it?" Hubert asked.

Luckily, Linhardt had thought of that while they were talking.

"Yes, I'm aware. I'm making a stop at the greenhouse first. I left behind the book I was reading earlier and haven't had the time to go back and grab it."

Hubert nodded, too busy with his own internal anxiousness to question any of what Linhardt was saying. Linhardt eyed him for a moment.

“Well, I told you where I’m going… Is it fair of me to ask the same of you?”

Hubert looked quite amused as he cast Linhardt a sidelong glance from the one eye not hidden behind his dark hair.

“I think you already know my answer to that.”

Linhardt sighed, closing his eyes and folding his arms.

“Yes, yes… It’s ‘none of my concern’, right? Or perhaps you’d ‘have to kill me if you told me’?”

Hubert said nothing, but his smirk was answer enough. Linhardt gave a casual shrug, and stepped around him.

“Fine, fine… Keep your secrets, then.” He said, poking Hubert's shoulder teasingly as he passed. "Now, if you'll excuse me… I'd rather _not_ dawdle about out here all night, lest I fall asleep before I can get any research done. Good luck in your endeavors, Hubert." 

With a casual wave, he headed off down the rest of the steps. Hubert watched him go for a moment, slowly exhaling a shaky breath once he was out of sight. That had been _far_ too close for comfort… Still, at least he knew where Linhardt was now. He would surely have a bit of time to prepare himself as he waited for Linhardt to find the note. Hubert walked up to Linhardt's empty dorm room and slid the envelope under the door silently. Then, he turned and headed off for the Goddess Tower.

\---

After making the long walk back from the second floor dormitories where he had left his letter for Hubert, Linhardt had finally reached the top of the Goddess Tower. With a sigh of relief, he approached the large door to the tower room. He slid it open with a mild grunt of effort, and nearly jumped at what he saw inside. 

Hubert was already standing there, bathed in the pale moonlight as he stood gazing out the large window at the grounds far below.

_How in the_ world _did he get here so fast after reading the letter?_ Linhardt thought. He shook his head and entered the room. Hubert was lost in contemplation, thinking up the perfect way to word his feelings, so he hadn’t noticed the door open.

"Hubert…" Linhardt said softly, to catch his attention. Hubert turned at the noise with a start. 

"Who--! ...Linhardt?" After a beat he regained his composure. "You.. arrived faster than expected…"

Linhardt scoffed.

"Hardly! You still somehow managed to beat me here. Is there some sort of hidden passageway from your room to the Goddess Tower??" Linhardt stopped at the thought. "...Actually, if there is, you _must_ show it to me." 

Hubert raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Beat you here? That… was the intention, yes. You… _did_ read my letter, did you not?"

" _Your_ letter? What in the world are you talking about? I'm the one who wrote _you_ the--…"

Linhardt trailed off mid sentence as the situation finally clicked for the both of them. They stared at each other in complete silence for a moment, letting the ridiculousness of it sink in. Hubert was the first to finally break.

"Did we both…?"

"...Write the same thing to each other?"

Linhardt finished the thought, a bewildered grin slowly spreading across his face. He couldn't help himself, and he let out a genuine laugh. Hubert followed with a short chuckle of his own.

"Well, I suppose this has killed any dramatic tension either of us were aiming for." He said, giving his head a shake.

"Indeed…" 

Linhardt laughed a moment more, then cleared his throat, as if attempting to regain _some_ of that lost dramatic tension. He crossed his arms and gave Hubert an expectant look.

“Well? What is it you wished to discuss with me? You arrived first, so clearly you _must_ have the more pressing topic.”

Linhardt couldn’t hide the mischievous tone in his voice. He knew full well how transparent it was that he was forcing Hubert to go first. Hubert rolled his eyes, but his smile didn’t falter.

“Fine, fine.”

Hubert inhaled slightly and closed his eyes for a moment. He took a step closer to Linhardt and opened them once more to look at him directly. Linhardt's heart jumped into his throat. It had only _just_ occurred to him that Hubert may have had the exact same intentions as he did.

"Linhardt… As I'm sure you're well aware, this next battle will be the most dangerous one we have ever faced. Given the gravity of everything we are about to undertake, I felt that I could no longer allow a certain… aspect of our relationship to stand in ambiguity."

Hubert wanted to reach out, to take Linhardt's hand and boldly profess his love for him. But he couldn't help but hold back out of his deep, lingering sense of fear. He momentarily mused on the fact that this was, almost undoubtedly, the most scared he had ever felt in his life. Not an assassination attempt, nor a war conflict, nor a life or death circumstance… It was being open about his feelings. Being vulnerable. _That_ was what terrified him the most. He looked at Linhardt, swallowing hard.

"You are… The most incredible individual I have ever encountered. You're brilliant beyond compare. You're compassionate and caring, despite your best efforts to hide it behind your tired veneer. Everything I've learned about you these past years has enchanted me. _You_ have enchanted me. So, I feel I cannot rest until I say this honestly to you, regardless of what happens. Linhardt, I--"

Right as Hubert had finally prepared to say it, Linhardt suddenly pressed a finger to his lips. His smile had slowly grown throughout Hubert's confession, and by now he was practically glowing. 

"Hubert... You've hardly given me a moment to interject. Though, I suppose there's not much else I could say… Somehow, you've stolen all the words right from my mouth." 

Hubert's eyes widened. He almost couldn't comprehend what Linhardt was saying. In fact a part of him was gearing up to rationalize his words away, but before he could Linhardt removed his finger from Hubert's lips, and reached down to take his hands. Still bearing the warmest of smiles, he spoke again.

"I love you, Hubert. For a very long time now, I have. I hope you'll forgive me, but I had to stop you once I realized where you were going with that speech… I simply couldn't bear to let you say it first." He laughed softly, as Hubert's cheeks flushed with more color than they ever had.

"I... You…" Hubert stuttered, but as Linhardt's words sunk in for him at last, his bewilderment turned to amusement, then to adoration. "Linhardt… I had no idea you had such a cruel side. Stealing my own confession from me… Perhaps you're not as innocent as I thought you to be." 

Linhardt started to laugh, but was surprised when Hubert suddenly pulled him in closer. Now he was the one blushing as Hubert tucked his fingers under his chin and leaned down so they were inches apart.

"I suppose I'll just have to steal this before you can, then…" he whispered, as his lips met with Linhardt's for the first time.

Although he had kissed Linhardt many times elsewhere, such as on his cheek, neck and forehead, they'd never gone beyond that until now. Linhardt wrapped his arms around Hubert, one gripping his shoulder, the other folding into the dark hair on the back of his head. The relief he felt as he melted into the moment washed over him like a warm summer's breeze. They stayed wrapped in their embrace for a long moment, their lips moving gently against each other's in the silence of the night.

Hubert's movements were initially somewhat stiff, as if he weren't sure if he should really be letting himself do this. But, as the warmth of desire filled him fuller, and as he felt Linhardt's embrace surrounding him, he finally let himself go. He cut his fears loose, and embraced the love he could no longer bear to deny himself. When they finally broke, their breaths were labored and the haze of passion lingered in both of their minds. To Linhardt's surprise, Hubert suddenly pulled him tightly into his chest, and rested his head against his own.

"I love you… So much… Whatever happens, I want to spend every moment I possibly can with you…" He whispered.

Linhardt let out a soft sound, and hugged him back just as tightly. He nodded into his shoulder, a gentle gesture of agreement. Slowly, they pulled away from one another, looking into each other's eyes. After a moment of silence, Hubert let out a small exhale of a laugh through his nose.

"I still can't fathom it… Something within me simply cannot understand why you would want to be with someone like me, of all people. You detest conflict, you cannot so much as stand the sight of blood… and yet here you are, admitting your love for a man paving a blood soaked path… Why? What have I done to deserve that love?" 

Hubert asked the question not with malice, or even self-deprecation. He genuinely could not see a reason as to why Linhardt would love him despite how starkly opposite they were in so many regards. Linhardt shook his head and sighed.

"Why does anyone love anyone? I love you because of the person I know you are, not because of the path you walk. You care for those you're close with, truly I know you do. I don't just mean Her Highness and myself, either. I've seen how you are with Caspar, Ferdinand, Dorothea... all of our friends. You want to help them reach the potential you see within them, both to help your cause _and_ to help them." Linhardt gave him a knowing look, which Hubert huffed at dismissively. "And that's without even mentioning the times you've… comforted me."

Linhardt's brow furrowed and he drew his arms up around his chest, looking away from Hubert. 

"Before we became close… I was never able to break myself free from those… moments. I would sit and shake in silence for hours, sometimes entire days… The thought of what I'd done… The people I've killed… All the blood that's stained my hands… Some days, I could barely find a reason to get out of bed. It felt like it would be so much easier to just…" 

Linhardt trailed off, shivering at the memory. Hubert's eyebrows had drawn up in concern, but Linhardt spoke again. 

"But… When I thought things had gotten truly unbearable… You somehow pulled me out of that horrible state. That first time when you were there with me… It was as if I had been drifting down into a bottomless abyss, drowning in the water, and you had lifted me back up to the surface to breathe. I can't explain it, but… When I can see you in front of me… when I can feel your touch pressing against me… It makes things feel less… impossible."

At that, Linhardt felt the familiar weight of Hubert's hand on his shoulder, and turned back towards him. Hubert wordlessly drew him back into his arms, and kissed him once more. It was a short and tender kiss, in a soft and knowing embrace. Linhardt clung to him for that moment, willing himself not to cry. Hubert pulled away just slightly and pressed his lips to Linhardt's cheek before whispering softly.

"You will never have to face those thoughts alone… I told you then, and I still hold to this now… These things are not your responsibility, nor are they your fault." 

Hubert leaned back and looked down into Linhardt's eyes. Hubert's expression was always hard to read, but there was a gentle concern in the way his brow creased upwards just slightly. He kept his arms around Linhardt, as if to keep him from floating off too far into his own thoughts. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke quietly.

"...You don't have to fight, you know. I could make it so that you're assigned to the infirmary unit, far away from the front lines. Or…" Hubert hesitated yet again, "You could leave. You could leave this place and this war behind, and live the peaceful life I know you desire… I certainly would not blame you if you did. I don't think anyone would."

Linhardt was surprised to hear Hubert suggest such a thing. Hubert was always focused on the usefulness of those around him, under normal circumstances he would never allow an asset to slip away---let alone suggest an asset should leave. But Linhardt was not someone Hubert was able to view as just an asset, he'd long stopped seeing him in such a way. After studying him for a moment, Linhardt sighed softly and met Hubert's gaze with his usual tired look… Though, perhaps it was a tad more tired than usual.

"You _really_ think I haven't already considered that? The Professor has told me before that I could stay back and work in the infirmary if I wanted… And of course I've _thought_ of what it would be like to simply run away from all this. You should know by now that running away from problems is a primary skill of mine. But… I know I can't do that." 

Linhardt's jaw tightened and set into a conflicted frown. 

"There have been moments where I know that if I hadn't been around to heal someone, or to counterattack an enemy, they would have died. I can't even begin to count the number of times that's happened with Caspar alone, reckless as he always is…" 

The thought seemed to shake him for a moment, and he shut his eyes tightly. After taking a moment to breathe, he shook his head firmly. 

"...As much as I would _love_ to be able to nap away this war, the guilt alone would kill me faster than any battle wound ever could. No… I have to see this through to the end. I suppose I simply can't have peace until the world around me has it too."

Hubert felt Linhardt's pain and conflict. He knew how unbearably difficult this war was for him. For years, Hubert had done everything in his power to minimize the horror Linhardt had to experience. More than anything, he wished he were able to resolve it all. If only he somehow could, he would take all of Linhardt's burdens on as his own instead. He reached down and took both of Linhardt's hands in his own.

"Then, at the very least, allow me to pledge you this… _When_ we are victorious in our triumph over the church and we have united all of Fodlan, I shall do everything in my power to ensure will never be another bloody conflict that you need be involved in…"

Linhardt's pained expression slowly faded as he listened, and his slight smile returned once more.

"Making a pledge to me, hm? That wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that we're in the Goddess Tower, now would it? And I had thought you weren't superstitious." He said, earning him a bemused look from Hubert. 

He squeezed Hubert's hands lightly.

"…Well, then Ipledge to you that despite my deep desire to sleep and study in seclusion for the rest of my days… I shall choose instead to remain by your side, no matter where your duty takes you." 

Linhardt released Hubert's hands and reached up, wrapping his arms loosely around the back of Hubert's neck. He looked deep into his unnaturally green eyes and smiled fondly.

"And, I shall continue tricking you into relaxing with me every now and then as well."

The two of them embraced each other once more, enjoying the quiet comfort of their companionship for as long as they could. 

Both Linhardt and Hubert felt determined to ensure this moment of peace would not be their last.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this whole cheesy-ass story to the end!! I hope I was able to satisfy all 5 of the other LinBert fans out there lol. These two do not get enough love, honestly. 
> 
> Seriously though, if you haven't read Getting Used To by Riemann_integrable, go read it! This fic would not exist without that story making me fall in love with the dynamic these two have.


End file.
